Career and Education Opportunities for Police Officers in Norman, Oklahoma

There is a wide variety of career and education opportunities for police officers in the Norman, Oklahoma area. Currently, 1,290 people work as police officers in Oklahoma. This is expected to grow by 21% to 1,560 people by 2016. This is better than the national trend for police officers, which sees this job pool growing by about 16.6% over the next eight years. In general, police officers conduct investigations to prevent crimes or solve criminal cases.

A person working as a police officer can expect to earn about $20 hourly or $42,010 per year on average in Oklahoma and about $29 hourly or $60,910 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Police officers earn more than people working in the category of Police and Security generally in Oklahoma and more than people in the Police and Security category nationally. Jobs in this field include: criminal investigations division investigator, fugitive investigator, and sheriff's detective.

There are two schools within twenty-five miles of Norman where you can study to be a police officer, among thirty-seven schools of higher education total in the Norman area. Given that the most common education level for police officers is a high school diploma or GED, you can expect to spend only a short time studying to be a police officer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Police Officer

Police officers furnish testimony as a witness in court. They also examine records and governmental agency files to discover identifying data about suspects. Equally important, police officers have to participate or help in raids and arrests. They are often called upon to record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants. They are expected to obtain evidence from suspects. Finally, police officers furnish data to lab staff concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.

Every day, police officers are expected to be able to evaluate problems as they arise. They need to articulate ideas and problems. It is also important that they think through problems and come up with general rules.

It is important for police officers to obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence. They are often called upon to examine crime scenes to obtain clues and evidence, such as loose hairs or weapons. They also organize scene search, assigning specific tasks and areas of search to individual officers and obtaining adequate lighting as needed. They are sometimes expected to secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive. Somewhat less frequently, police officers are also expected to secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it before medical examiner's arrival.

Police officers sometimes are asked to summon medical help for injured individuals and alert medical staff to take statements from them. They also have to be able to check victims for signs of life And finally, they sometimes have to analyze completed police reports to establish what additional data and investigative work is needed.

Like many other jobs, police officers must have exceptional integrity and be able to deal with stress and deal with situations calmly.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Norman include:

Chief of Police. Supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

Correctional Officer. Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institution in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.

Criminal Investigator. Investigate alleged or suspected criminal violations of Federal, state, or local laws to determine if evidence is sufficient to recommend prosecution.

Customs Inspector. Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.

Fire Code Inspector. Inspect buildings and equipment to detect fire hazards and enforce state and local regulations.

Private Investigator. Detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment, or seek, examine, and compile information for client.

Sheriff. Enforce law and order in rural or unincorporated districts or serve legal processes of courts. May patrol courthouse, guard court or grand jury, or escort defendants.

Transportation Security Officer. Inspect baggage or cargo and screen passengers to detect and prevent potentially dangerous objects from being transported into secure areas or onto aircraft.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Police Officer Training

Mid-America Technology Center - Wayne, OK

Mid-America Technology Center, 27438 State Hwy 59, Wayne, OK 73095-0210. Mid-America Technology Center is a small school located in Wayne, Oklahoma. It is a public school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 777 students. Mid-America Technology Center has a one to two year program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated eight students in 2008.

Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City - Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, 900 N Portland, Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6195. Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City is a medium sized university located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 5,912 students. Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City has an associate's degree program in Criminal Justice/Police Science which graduated seventy-five students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Medical Investigator:
The spectrum of professions involved in forensic investigation has broadened dramatically over the past 20 years.

Certified Corrections Manager - Security Threat Groups:
Individuals who head a Security Threat Group (STG) program in an adult or juvenile corrections facility, contribute to the development of agency policies/procedures pertaining to STGs, and are involved in the implementation of these policies/procedures.

Computer Forensics:
The primary goals we have for our certification programs are to both assist law enforcement and organizations requiring highly skilled investigators in the identification of highly skilled individuals, and to promote the training and education efforts within the computer investigation, computer forensic and computer security industries.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Norman, Oklahoma

Norman, Oklahoma photo by Okguy

Norman is located in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. It has a population of over 106,957, which has grown by 11.8% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Norman, 84, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Norman are priced at $184,600 on average, which is well above the state average. In 2008, five hundred sixteen new homes were built in Norman, up from four hundred nineteen the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Norman are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is educational services, accommodation and food services, and construction. The average commute to work is about 21 minutes. More than 39.8% of Norman residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 16.6%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Norman is 4.7%, which is less than Oklahoma's average of 7.1%.

The percentage of Norman residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 44.3%, is less than both the national and state average. Alameda Baptist Church, Alameda Church of Christ and All Welcome Victory Church are among the churches located in Norman. The largest religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church.

Norman is home to the Cerebral Palsy Institute and the Park on Main as well as Owen Field and Rotary Park. Shopping malls in the area include Colonial Estates Shopping Center, Anatole Shopping Center and Carriage Plaza Shopping Center. Visitors to Norman can choose from Ramada Days Inn, Montford Inn and Guest Inn - Norman for temporary stays in the area.